Publisher's Weekly Review
Cross's engrossing debut, the first in a new crime series, introduces Carter Blake, a man without a home and with no personal ties, but with a knack for finding people who don't want to be found. Blake agrees to help the FBI locate serial killer Caleb Wardell (dubbed the Chicago Sniper by the media), who escaped from a prisoner-transport van en route from Chicago to the federal correction complex at Terre Haute, Ind., where he was due to be executed in two weeks. Elaine Banner, an FBI special agent, starts feeling conflicted when Blake's instincts prove to be more reliable than those of FBI man Steve Castle, who's calling the shots on the investigation. The body count grows as Wardell goes on a rampage in several states. The suspense builds all the way to the breathtaking ending. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Blake. Agent: Luigi Bonomi, LBA (U.K.). (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When convicted serial killer Caleb Wardell escapes from prison, memories of his 19 murders with 19 bullets again strike fear across the Midwest. Chicago's FBI office mounts a task force, and someone very important requires that Carter Blake, who finds people who don't want to be found, be part of the team. But only Special Agent Elaine Banner, second in command, is willing to listen to Blake, even as Wardell's body count rises. Blake and Banner realize that someone is aiding Wardell, but both are dismissed from the task force. The pair must go rogue to stop Wardell and uncover the conspiracy that is aiding him. First-novelist Cross has produced a solid thriller that will undoubtedly become a series. He keeps the pace breakneck, the suspense high, and the body count higher. Wardell is a terrific villain: intelligent, disciplined, resourceful, and utterly twisted. Banner is a single parent stretched between her daughter and her career. Blake is an enigma, but readers can trust that Cross will fill in his backstory in future novels.--Gaughan, Thomas Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Review
A freelance soldier of fortune signs on with the FBI to catch an escaped convict, a Marine-trained sniper who's picked up where he left off five years ago, in Cross' slam-bang debut. Ironically, Caleb Wardell isn't even the target of the escape. Russian mobster Vitali Korakovski has his eye on the prisoner who's being transported along with him, Clarence Mitchell, who's been preparing to roll over on Korakovski. The resulting carnage, however, leaves Wardell the last man standing, and he promptly high-tails it out of Chicago to resume doing what he's already done 19 times. The FBI's Chicago Special Agent in Charge Walter Donaldson, who doesn't want news of the escape to reach the media (yeah, right), reaches out to Carter Blake, the on-again, off-again narrator who assures us in the opening sentence that that's not his real name. Blake's unlikely success in predicting that Wardell will head to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Lincoln, Nebraska, where he duly executes two more victims, earns him the trust of FBI agent Elaine Banner, who despite (or because of) her ambition, has been something of an outlier among bigger Feebs like Donaldson, veteran Dave Edwards and Steve Castle, head of the task force charged with bringing in Wardell. None of this matters, because it's obvious from the beginning that even though Blake is a much less impressive figure than the truly scary Wardell, he's the only one tough and wily enough to have a prayer against him. Cross provides a gratifyingly high body count, ruthlessly efficient action sequences and all the other thrills you'd expect of the superior popcorn movie you can expect his first novel to spawn, right down to a nifty extra twist in the tail. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
A chance last-ditch escape for death row prisoner Caleb Wardell, known as the Chicago Sniper, begins a six-day spree of random killings. The FBI is on the case, along with Carter Blake, who is called in to assist in the manhunt. Much like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Blake is a military-trained loner, with skills that rival those of the agents of the bureau. Add feisty special agent Elaine Banner, and the scene is set for plenty of action and suspense that culminate in a surprise ending. Verdict British author Cross makes a spectacular U.S. debut with this harrowing thriller. The gripping, intense pace and the intriguing characters will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Hope for a sequel!-Susan Carr, Edwardsville P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
